45 Earth-like Worlds in Habitable Zones Identified, Highlighting Nearby Targets and Future Observation Plans

To the point

Researchers have identified 45 Earth-like planets in habitable zones where surface water could exist, including several nearby candidates such as Proxima Centauri b and TRAPPIST-1 planets, and they outline observational plans with the James Webb Space Telescope, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, and the Extremely Large Telescope, note that current technology would make some targets very long to reach though future propulsion could shorten that time, and remind us that life could also hide in subsurface oceans on moons like Enceladus and Titan, with lead author Lisa Kaltenegger guiding the search, co-author Gillis Lowry cautioning that habitability is still uncertain, and Dr. David Armstrong providing icy-moon context.